History of Christmas Chocolate Logs in France

The yule log is called Buche de Noel.

Buche de Noel, the yule log cake, is a traditional French Christmas cake. Made of chocolate sponge cake and decorated like a log, the Buche de Noel cake is traditionally decorated with meringue mushrooms.

Napoleon and the Yule Log

While the story of the yule log is unclear, one tale relates that Napoleon Bonaparte outlawed the use of fireplaces because he believed the cold air coming in the flue would hurt his people's health. In light of the law, French citizens created the yule log to celebrate the hearth, a place of togetherness, at Christmas time.

Magical Powers

Another tale says that the yule log was born from pre-Christian tradition, when a bonfire was set at the winter solstice to celebrate the god Thor. When Christianity took hold, the old tradition took root in French culture where a tree was burned to prepare Christmas dinner. The ashes from the fire were believed to be magical. The Buche de Noel was created to celebrate the magical fire, Christmas tradition and the pre-Christian solstice.

Without the Hearth

The final tale of the Buche de Noel's history states that as architecture and technology improved, and homes were built without fireplaces, the yule log was born. A French pastry chef in the 1800s designed the cake in the likeness of a log to replace the missing hearth.

References

• Serious Eats: Jacques Torres on the Buche de Noel
• Joy of Baking: Yule Log (Buche de Noel) Recipe
• Whisk: Daring Bakers--French Yule Log